Joomla! for Web Designers

There was a time when, as a web designer, you had to choose between a Content Management System (CMS) that would provide an up-to-date design or the right functionality for your website. Certain systems where known to be better at providing shopping cart solutions, other provided attractive and responsive blogging options, and then there was Joomla!, which gave developers room to continuously add functionality through its extensive extension directory.

Joomla! developers have been aiming to close that gap between design and programing by creating new templates that follow the latest web design trends while maintaining the integral performance of the components that make Joomla! such a widely popular CMS. Nowadays, it is very easy to find websites that provide free and paid Joomla! templates that reflect all design styles.

Store Front Design

For a business, selling online opens up a big market that can be sometimes global and available to their customers 24/7. The design you choose for your store front should represent your brand. It should also make your customer feel as comfortable as if they were shopping at your brick-and-mortar store. Because the customer is not able to physically pick up an item and feel it, your online store should provide a detailed, transparent, and easy shopping experience. The store should provide as much information as possible and have easy navigation. You can find a Joomla! template that provides all these design features as well as the ability to set up your payment processing, coupons, shipment, and keep track of your stock from inside your CMS. With a bit of research, it wouldn’t be hard to find a Joomla! template that is elegant and modern; one that already comes with an extension to run your store and helpful modules to display your products such as “Featured Items”, “Must Haves” or “Best Sellers”. In addition, many eCommerce Joomla Templates are now responsive, so your customer can enjoy their shopping experience even from their mobile device.

Business/Professional Design

Businesses put a particular focus on showing off their products or services on their websites with illustrations and animations in order to "wow" their visitors. To maintain a high level of professionalism, the design should utilize aesthetics that portray the company/owner favorably and do not clash with the clarity of the content. For a business it is important to have a website that promotes their brand, communicates a trustworthy message, and "seduces" potential and current clients to buy their products or services. A B2B (business-to-business) website can also take advantage of this particular type of design. Always keeping in mind to build a user-friendly site that is easy to navigate regardless of the screen size which provides high quality content.

Skeuomorphic Design

Skeuomorphic web design attempts to bring real life to the screen with elements such as faux-realistic textures, drop shadows, and real object characteristics. The purpose of referencing real life in the design is to help the user navigate easily by closing the gap between a fairly abstract computer concept to a literal interaction. This can be done, for example, by adding a picture of an envelope that the user can click on in order to send a message. A website geared to an older demographic with less computer experience can take advantage of this type of design because their users will relate more to the concept of an envelope than to the concept of sending bytes of data across the world wide web.

Flat Design

Flat design is a minimalistic design approach that emphasizes usability. It features clean, open space, crisp edges, bright colors and two-dimensional/flat illustrations. Microsoft was one of the first to apply this design style to its interface, seen by some as a backlash against the popular skeuomorphism that Apple kicked off with its iOS interface. Flat design has become very popular in the responsive design area as it displays well across desktops and mobile devices providing interface versatility.

Parallax Scrolling Design

Parallax scrolling is a computer graphics technique that was widely used in arcade games in the 80s and in the last few years has been adapted to web design with the help of HTML5 and CSS3. Parallax scrolling happens when multiple background layers can be scrolled independently from each other horizontally and/or vertically. Basically it's showing depth in 2D and making some of elements looks like they are animated. This flashy design can certainly enhance some aspects of the user experience on a website, but it should be used with caution as to not overwhelm your user with too many moving elements on the page. You can now find Joomla! templates that allow you to edit parallax sections effortlessly and even tinker with the scroll speeds.

Conclusion

As a designer, it is important to remember that the style you choose should be based not on your preference, but on the website’s target market. Whether this is an age group or a community, the audience should be able to relate and easily navigate the design you choose.